Van Thuan. Libero Tra le Sbarre

Soprano Rowan Pierce joins Florilegium and Ashley Solomon in Tra le fiamme - a new recording of secular cantatas by G. F. Handel and J. S. Bach. Tra le fiamme is one of Handel's Italian style cantatas, combining vocal virtuosity with deep emotional expressivity. Bach’s cantata Ich bin in mir vergnügt is an elegant example of one of his secular cantatas. This cantata stands out for its reflective exploration of themes of inner peace, contentment, and stoic philosophy - qualities that reflect Bach’s interest in moral and philosophical themes outside of his sacred music. Also included here is the final virtuosic Alleluia from Vivaldi’s motet In furore iustissimae irae together with instrumental concertos by Vivaldi and Handel.

The idea of alternating trio sonatas with cantatas is a happy one, based perhaps on the idea that people play CDs for pleasure and not simply for reference. The two cantatas are rarities on record. Tra le fiamme is a spectacularly scored piece, its textures enriched by a viola da gamba obbligato and wind instruments (recorders in some numbers, oboes in another) as well as strings.